Gallery 3 - Sorting out the stock

GALLERY 3: SORTING THE CATTLE - Once the cattle have been rounded-up and brought to the corrals, they are herded into a large pen and then sorted by ranch into holding pens. A few cowboys have well trained dogs to find and herd the cattle. The large pen is made up of permanent fences with one side made of trucks and horse trailers It is attached to a series of cattle pens and a loading chute for those that are trucked out. Others, close to the that location will drive their cattle along the road. It takes a few days to sort out the 1000+ cattle, identified with brands and ear tags.

It takes well trained horses and riders to sort out reluctant cattle without causing panic amoung the rest of the herd. Most cattle are recovered from the 100 square miles of forested foothill leased land, however a few are lost every year. This is not just a man's activity. Several of the riders are incredibly capable women as the photos will show. Riders range from teenagers learning the ropes, to very capable folks from older generations. Some of the families show up with kids who revel in the excitement and find inventive ways to entertain themselves

Gallery 3 contains the most pictures of the people and horses that do the work. The files are AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURES AT NO COST. Just send me an email at davebreckon@gmail.com and I will make them available for you. Thanks for a great time and a 'brush with our past'.